“Do you feel that?” she asked. “How you’re able to keep that balance?”
He nodded. His stance was wider, and he felt more solid on the board. He grinned into that feeling of accomplishment and caught her smiling at him. She quickly pressed her mouth back into a line when their eyes met.
“That’s what you’re going for. Keep practicing. I’m sure this will become just one more thing you’re great at.” She gave a small eye roll, which actually cut him. “When you’re ready, join your friends and try the white wash.”
She left him to practice and rejoined Vishal and Karan. Roshan practiced popping up until he could consistently do it and keep his balance. He only fell when he looked over at Nimita laughing and enjoying herself with Vishal and Karan, relaxed in a way that she wasn’t with him.
He knew she hadn’t forgotten their last encounter before graduation. He was going to have to say something.
But how did one apologize for being a complete asshole fifteen years ago?
* * *
The bruises showing on Roshan’s side were dark purple where she’d landed her first kick. She should probably feel a little bad, but he’d been a strange man in her room at night, and he was a bit of a jerk—back then and now.
He could have at any time since then apologized to her, but he had not seen fit to do so. It wasn’t as if his words haunted her every day. Or even at all; it had been fifteen years ago after all. But seeing him…it brought back the pain of hearing him accuse her of cheating or purposely holding him back so that she could graduate first in their class.
After she had spent two nights a week for eighteen months at his parents’ kitchen island tutoring him in everything from chemical equations to the SATs. Sure, she’d been paid, but she had thought they were friends.
She hadn’t bothered having a crush on him—he wasn’t her type—but he had been funny and eager to learn. He didn’t try to spend the hour (and his parents’ money) goofing off like some of the other people she tutored.
She hadn’t really cared about what her standing was in the class. She knew she was somewhere in the top ten. She had her dream college admission (Purdue engineering with a full scholarship!). Why would she have done any of the things he suggested? She’d had no idea that he had wanted to be tutored so he could reach the number one spot. He was welcome to it, as far as she had been concerned.
She glanced over to where he was practicing on the surfboard. He was persistent, she’d give him that. And he was getting better.
“Do you think Roshan even has what it takes to ride a wave?” Vishal asked, smirking.
She returned his smirk. “Do you have what it takes?”
Vishal bobbed his head back and forth. “Questionable.”
“You do. And so does Roshan. He just needs to get a feel for it,” she answered, resisting the urge to look back at him.
“You’re really pissed he broke into your room,” Karan noted as he popped up once again.
“Yeah,” she said distracted. “And other things.”
“What other things?” Karan asked.
She looked at both men. “He never told you?”
“Told us what?” Vishal asked.
They really had no idea. Huh. “Never mind.”
“You can tell us,” Vishal said with all the coyness of a gossiping auntie.
“That’s not happening.” She glanced over at Roshan, who was doing almost as well as his friends now. “He’s ready enough. Come on.” She waved Roshan over, and he joined them.
“Let’s ride the white wash for a bit,” she said to the three men in her teacher voice. She made minimum eye contact with Roshan as she spoke. “Then we’ll have breakfast and come back and find some waves.”
Vishal and Karan were almost immediately at ease with the white water. Roshan needed more time.
“Go ahead and take them out,” he said to her. “I’m fine practicing on my own.”
“Let’s have breakfast,” Vishal said. “Karan is looking faint.”
“I could eat,” Karan confirmed.
